Sports
Fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups featuring Ben Rice, Kyren Paris and more
Even though it’s very early into the 2025 fantasy baseball season, many of you might be looking at a roster that only partially resembles the team you drafted. Since roster churn is the name of the game, I’m running it back with your favorite speculator piece with my patented data-backed, formulaic approach to discover next […]


Even though it’s very early into the 2025 fantasy baseball season, many of you might be looking at a roster that only partially resembles the team you drafted. Since roster churn is the name of the game, I’m running it back with your favorite speculator piece with my patented data-backed, formulaic approach to discover next week’s waiver wire headliners … today.
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Going position by position, I mine my favorite obscure player statistics regarding control, batted ball quality and swing-and-miss ability. Then I mash them together to identify some cheap gems to grab before the squares figure it out next week. At the bottom, I rank my favorite available players around the diamond, two-start pitchers and speculative adds.
Access The Athletic’s guide for abbreviations used in fantasy baseball.
Hitters
When it comes to hitting, opportunity may be king, but we still need production — which comes from underlying skills. Scores of studies have proven the impact of exit velocity and its direct relationship with slugging percentage, so raw power is always a great place to start. The list below utilizes contact quality, paired with advanced statistics and, last but not least, pulled fly balls/line drives — because staying on-brand matters.
Ranking available hitters
PLAYER
|
POS
|
TEAM
|
PA
|
ZC%
|
HH%
|
XWOBA
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OF |
TBR |
29 |
100.0% |
57.1% |
0.399 |
|
1B/OF |
BAL |
32 |
96.8% |
44.0% |
0.366 |
|
3B |
PIT |
46 |
93.2% |
50.0% |
0.372 |
|
3B |
BAL |
35 |
91.4% |
42.3% |
0.351 |
|
1B |
CHW |
35 |
90.9% |
59.3% |
0.351 |
|
2B/OF |
SEA |
30 |
87.5% |
42.1% |
0.401 |
|
C |
TEX |
21 |
87.0% |
52.9% |
0.384 |
|
OF |
NYY |
33 |
85.7% |
52.2% |
0.459 |
|
C |
MIN |
29 |
85.7% |
42.9% |
0.404 |
|
C |
CHW |
26 |
85.3% |
53.3% |
0.345 |
Hitters in this table have +86% zone-contact, +43% hard-hit, a +.345 expected weighted on-base average and a minimum of 20 plate appearances.
You’d think all the hubbub surrounding torpedo bats in the Bronx would’ve vaulted New York’s designated hitter Ben Rice into universal rostership, but that’s not the case thus far. Still just 40% rostered on Yahoo, Rice offers more than just power, and his balanced 5×5 production thus far — .305 BA/9 R/4 RBI/3 HR/2 SB — could be foretelling a monster breakout on the horizon.
For starters, he’s penciled in the lineup every day, and he even played his way into a top-two lineup spot in six of the past seven games. Rice represents your prototypical Bronx Bomber — he’s patient (16.3% BB), doesn’t chase (19.0% O-Swing) and possesses tons of pop (72.75 HH%, 28.0 Barrel%, .622 xwOBAcon). I’m not sure what’s stopping fantasy managers from adding Rice, but just make sure you’re not one of them.
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What waiver wire article would be complete without mentioning Earth’s hottest hitter, Kyren Paris? The 23-year-old former second-round pick finally finds himself in a full-time role for the Angels after playing terribly through two short cups of coffee since 2023 — 105 PA, .110 BA, .378 OPS, 32.4% K, 10 wRC+. Yikes. Apparently, all it takes to turn your entire career around is a trip to see Aaron Judge’s swing doctor, Richard Schenck.
Better known as “Teacherman,” the unorthodox hitting coach must be doing something right if his pupil’s production is any indication — Paris is the first player in American League history with 5 HR and 4 SB in his first 10 games played of a season. Wow. This type of potential breakout should never be ignored, so check if he’s available before reading another word. That said, temper expectations before betting on an Ohtani-esque 50 HR/50 SB season — there are still some holes in his disciplinary metrics (17.0% SwStr, 78.6% Zone-Contact) that could be taken advantage of as scouting reports develop.
Unfortunately, injuries are a major, yet inevitable, part of fantasy baseball — and it’s a fantasy manager’s ability to respond to their subsequent effects that separates the wheat from the chaff. When Arizona signed infielder Geraldo Perdomo to a one-year, $2.25M deal this offseason, it felt more like an afterthought in fantasy circles than anything. Perdomo has never eclipsed 500 PA in a season, nor consistently cracked the bottom third of the Diamondbacks lineup.
Well, that all changed when superstar Ketel Marte hurt his hamstring and is now set to miss “significant time.” Perdomo, who was already playing every game, now slides into the two-hole for the D-backs. Do not underestimate the impact of a significant lineup boost, people. Not only are plate appearances the universal commodity in this game of ours, but he’s now set to see a huge boost in counting stats, given his profile. The 25-year-old shortstop boasts an elite plate approach (3.4% SwStr, 17.3% O-Swing, 95.0% Zone-Contact), which should provide a nice batting average in the middle of a good lineup with just enough power and speed to move the needle.
Top hitter waiver wire adds, by position
Catcher
- Hunter Goodman (COL): 10+ teams
- Sean Murphy (ATL): 12+ teams
- Carson Kelly (CHC): 12/15 teams
- Ryan Jeffers (MIN): 12/15 teams
- Dillon Dingler (DET): 15+ teams
- Pedro Pagés (STL): 15+ teams
- Matt Thaiss (CHW): AL only
- Austin Wynns (CIN): NL only
First Base
- Ben Rice (NYY): 10+ teams
- Jonathan Aranda (TB): 12+ teams
- Andrew Vaughn (CHW): 12/15 teams
- Ryan O’Hearn (BAL): 12/15 teams
- Ty France (MIN): 12/15 teams
- Kyle Manzardo (CLE): 15+ teams
- Donovan Solano (SEA): AL only
- Enmanuel Valdéz (PIT): NL only
Second Base
- Kyren Paris (LAA): 10+ teams
- Gavin Lux (CIN): 12+ teams
- Colt Keith (DET): 12/15 teams
- Max Muncy (ATH): 12/15 teams
- Michael Massey (KC): 15+ teams
- Tim Tawa (ARI): 15+ teams
- Tsung-Che Cheng (PIT): 15+ teams
- Will Wagner (TOR): AL only
- Thomas Saggese (STL): NL only
Shortstop
- Geraldo Perdomo (ARI): 10+ teams
- Jacob Wilson (ATH): 12+ teams
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa (PIT): 12+ teams ***
- Tyler Fitzgerald (SF): 12/15 teams
- Trey Sweeney (DET): 15+ teams
- Taylor Walls (TB): 15+ teams
- Jacob Amaya (CHW): AL only
- Edmundo Sosa (PHI): NL only
- Nick Allen (ATL): NL only
Third Base
- Ke’Bryan Hayes (PIT): 10+ teams
- Jorge Polanco (SEA): 10/12 teams
- Ramón Urías (BAL): 12+ teams
- Gabriel Arias (CLE): 12/15 teams
- Joey Ortiz (MIL): 12/15 teams
- Miguel Vargas (CHW): 15+ teams
- Graham Pauley (MIA): 15+ teams
- Oswaldo Cabrera (NYY): AL only
- Santiago Espinal (CIN): NL only
Outfield, 10/12 teams
- Jung Hoo Lee (SF) ***
- Heston Kjerstad (BAL)
- Pavin Smith (ARI)
- Jordan Walker (STL)
- Zac Veen (COL)
Outfield, 12/15 teams
- Sal Frelick (MIL)
- Kameron Misner (TB)
- Trent Grisham (NYY)
- Jake Mangum (TB) ***
- Kyle Stowers (MIA)
Outfield 15+ teams only
- Leody Taveras (TEX)
- Trevor Larnach (MIN)
- Alek Thomas (ARI)
- Gavin Sheets (SD)
- Alan Roden (TOR)
- Mickey Moniak (COL)
- Zach McKinstry (DET)
- Harrison Bader (MIN)
- Mike Yastrzemski (SF)
- Jake Meyers (HOU) ***
- Ryan Kreidler (DET) – AL only
- Davis Schneider (TOR) – AL only
- Oscar Gonzalez (SD) – NL only
- Dane Myers (MIA) – NL only
*** = Prioritize for speed
Graduating class
Players from previous articles no longer under 50% rostered (Yahoo) who should be rostered first
- Keibert Ruiz (C, WAS)
- Spencer Torkelson (1B, DET)
- Tyler Soderstrom (1B, ATH)
- Willi Castro (2B/SS/3B, MIN)
- Victor Scott (OF, STL)
Hitter stash candidates
- Nick Kurtz (1B, ATH) — Depending on Tyler Soderstrom’s injury, Kurtz’s call-up could be imminent.
- Austin Hays (OF, CIN) — He’s on a rehab assignment, and the Reds desperately need his bat.
- Roman Anthony (OF, BOS)
- Marcelo Mayer (SS, BOS)
- Nick Yorke (2B, PIT)
Hitter drop candidates
- Cam Smith (3B, HOU)
- Victor Robles (OF, SEA)
- Jose Miranda (3B, MIN)
- Jordan Beck (OF, COL)
- Orlando Arcia (SS, ATL)
Pitchers
As far as pitching goes, the thesis couldn’t be simpler — do our best to avoid any bias attached to surface stats (outputs) by instead focusing on underlying metrics (inputs). The most important SP skills are suppressing runs by keeping runners off base and striking out batters. Though simply showing up on this list so early may be noise, there’s an argument that this combination of skills signals an immediate call to action.
Ranking available starters
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
IP
|
xERA
|
WHIP
|
K-BB%
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
TOR |
10.1 |
2.01 |
0.68 |
21.1% |
|
COL |
19.0 |
2.58 |
1.00 |
19.7% |
|
PIT |
12.0 |
2.60 |
0.92 |
21.3% |
|
LAA |
12.1 |
2.81 |
0.97 |
19.6% |
|
STL |
12.1 |
3.26 |
1.14 |
22.4% |
Pitchers in this table have a ≤3.75 expected earned run average, ≤1.20 WHIP, +20.0% strikeout minus walk rate, with a minimum of five innings pitched.
Similar to hitters, the season’s opening month provides an opportunity to front-run players with tremendous ceiling potential before they become household names. Enter Landen Roupp, San Francisco’s right-handed hurler, who won an opening day rotation spot against tough competition.
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File this next speculation under “better to be a week early than a day late.” The recent injury tsunami just swallowed Minnesota’s ace starter Pablo López, leaving a rotation spot open in the Twin City. While it hasn’t been announced yet, I’m guessing it could be 24-year-old Zebby Matthews, who is next in line — and his potential is massive. Why churn through mediocre free agents when you can aim high on ceiling outcomes that could single-handedly swing your fantasy team’s trajectory?
Matthews doesn’t have much left to prove after dominating the minors over 96 IP in 2024 (2.60 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 28.6% K-BB) and following it up with just as sharp an encore this season in Triple A (1.80 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 33.3% K-BB). Matthews has an excellent four-seam fastball with two devastating secondaries — slider and changeup. Sure, he struggled in his first taste of MLB action last season. Who cares? If anything, I hope that small sample will deter your league mates from scooping up Matthews before you get a chance.
There’s also a chance the Twinkies turn to righty David Festa, who has some upside. I’m more worried about his command than Matthews’, plus Festa just got hit around by the Columbus Clippers last time out (3.1 IP, 10 Hits, 5 ER). Even if Matthews doesn’t get the first crack, the price suppression to add him could be worth it. He’s the guy I want for the rest of the season, and I don’t mind playing the long game — it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Top waiver wire pitcher adds
Finding Mr. Right: Starters who could stick all year
- Jack Leiter (TEX)
- Landen Roupp (SF)
- Max Meyer (MIA) ^^^
- Matthew Boyd (CHC)
- Tyler Mahle (TEX) ^^^
- Cade Povich (BAL)
- Jackson Jobe (DET)
- Griffin Canning (NYM)
- Hayden Wesneski (HOU)
- Easton Lucas (TOR) ^^^
- Matthew Liberatore (STL)
Team Streamers: Hold and deploy from the bench
- Edward Cabrera (MIA) — He could start as soon as Friday, April 11.
- Sean Burke (CHW)
- Jordan Hicks (SF)
- Shane Smith (CHW)
- Kumar Rocker (TEX)
- Will Warren (NYY)
- Nick Martinez (CIN)
- José Soriano (LAA)
- AJ Smith-Shawver (ATL)
- Martín Pérez (CHW)
- Osvaldo Bido (ATH)
- Mitchell Parker (WAS)
- Landon Knack (LAD)
- Ben Brown (CHC)
One-and-done: Pitch-and-ditch desperation plays
- Richard Fitts (BOS)
- Zack Littell (TB)
- JP Sears (ATH)
- Kyle Hart (SD)
- Kyle Hendricks (LAA)
- Davis Martin (CHW)
- Jack Kochanowicz (LAA)
- Carson Spiers (CIN)
- Taijuan Walker (PHI)
- Germán Márquez (COL)
- Randy Vasquez (SD)
- Brad Lord (WAS)
- Andrew Heaney (PIT)
^^^ = Riser
Pitcher stash candidates
- Zebby Matthews (MIN)
- Braxton Ashcraft (PIT) — Like David Festa, Ashcraft could get the first shot over Bubba Chandler even if he’s my close second choice for the long haul.
- Lucas Giolito (BOS) — He looked sharp in a 3.1 IP rehab outing for the Woo Sox.
- David Festa (MIN)
- Bubba Chandler (PIT)
- Hayden Birdsong (SF)
- Kyle Gibson (BAL)
Pitcher drop candidates
- Reynaldo López (SP, ATL)
- Thomas Harrington (SP, PIT)
- Mike Clevinger (RP, CHW)
- Calvin Faucher (RP, MIA)
Relievers
- Luke Jackson (TEX)
- Dennis Santana (PIT)
- José Alvarado (PHI)
- Tommy Kahnle (DET)
- Seth Halvorsen (COL)
- Emilio Pagán, (CIN)
- Tony Santillan (CIN)
- Anthony Bender (MIA)
- Camilo Doval (SF)
- Victor Vodnik (COL)
- Jordan Leasure (CHW)
Graduating class
Players from previous articles no longer under 50% rostered (Yahoo) who should be rostered first
- Kris Bubic (SP, KC)
Ranking next week’s available two-start pitchers
PLAYER | TEAM | OPP. | OPP. SP | OPP. | OPP. SP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jake Irvin |
WAS |
at PIT |
Mitch Keller |
at COL |
Antonio Senzatela |
Brad Lord |
WAS |
at PIT |
Paul Skenes |
at COL |
Kyle Freeland |
Tyler Alexander |
MIL |
vs. DET |
Tarik Skubal |
vs. ATH |
Jeffrey Springs |
Patrick Corbin |
TEX |
vs. LAA |
Yusei Kikuchi |
vs. LAD |
Dustin May |
Carlos Carrasco |
NYY |
vs. KC |
Seth Lugo |
at TB |
Ryan Pepiot |
Logan Allen |
CLE |
at BAL |
Charlie Morton |
at PIT |
Mitch Keller |
Connor Gillispie |
MIA |
vs. ARI |
Merrill Kelly |
at PHI |
Jesus Luzardo |
Antonio Senzatela |
COL |
at LAD |
Dustin May |
vs. WAS |
Jake Irvin |
That’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed the second speculative piece on the 2025 season.
For more MLB news, follow me on X @JohnLaghezza.
(Top photo of Ben Rice: Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)
Sports
GCU provides mental edge for MLB coaches
University of Miami pitching coach Laz Gutierrez (center) is one of several mental skills or performance directors who have earned doctorates from Grand Canyon University. (Photo by University of Miami) As a former major league baseball scout, Laz Gutierrez recognized that a player’s mental game is what separates most Division I college athletes. So when […]


As a former major league baseball scout, Laz Gutierrez recognized that a player’s mental game is what separates most Division I college athletes.
So when he wanted to study why pitchers suffered from the yips – the sudden and unexplained loss of ability to execute certain skills, such as throwing the ball – he enrolled at Grand Canyon University.
Gutierrez, who spent five years as the mental skills coordinator for the Boston Red Sox and serves as the pitching coach and mental skills director at the University of Miami, is one of several current or former major league mental skills or performance directors who have earned doctorates from GCU.

After being a part of five World Series championships with the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, Carl Kochan was hired as director of performance for the St. Louis Cardinals in December, around the same time he graduated after successfully defending his doctorate, titled “The Longitudinal, Grounded Theory Study on Psychological Resilience and Professionals.”
Kellen Lee is in his third season as the mental skills coach for the Seattle Mariners, five years after earning his doctorate from GCU in 2020 and serving as a master resilience trainer/performance expert for the U.S. Army.
Chad Bohling, who is scheduled to earn his doctorate this year, is in his 21st season with the New York Yankees, currently serving as the senior director of organizational performance.
And Justin Su’a, who is on track to earn his doctorate from GCU next spring, was the head of mental performance for the Tampa Bay Rays for five years before starting the Performance Advisory Group, which assists coaches, players and executives in professional sports.
The groundswell of mental skills staffers in baseball over the last 20 years illustrates teams’ efforts to address their players’ well-being, as well as their physical tools.

“Remember, this is a people-person industry,” Kochan said. “So before a player is ever an athlete, he’s a human being. So, really, making sure that we have that human connection is priority No.1.”
He added, “Ultimately, getting to know somebody and understanding what they value, versus balancing what the organization needs, both as a player and as a staff member – that’s the fine line that we get to walk every day. And then, oh, by the way, try to win baseball games, too.”
One of the biggest ingredients is trust, and it didn’t hurt that Gutierrez knew Chris Sale – the 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner with Atlanta – when Sale pitched at Florida Gulf Coast University and Gutierrez scouted the South Florida region for Boston.
Sale was drafted by the Chicago White Sox, but the two connected quickly after Sale was traded to Boston after the 2016 season, when Gutierrez already transitioned to the mental skills department.
“He’s an easy guy to talk to because he was in the game and knew both sides of the ball,” Sale said. “He knew how to get information out of people and make them feel comfortable, but he also knew the game and knew when was the right time to go about it.”

Before one of Boston’s off-days, Sale planned to fly to Naples, Florida, to visit his wife and three children and invited Gutierrez, who then could rent a car to drive about 100 miles to see his family.
“There might have been only 14 seconds of silence the entire time,” Sale recalled of the flight. “We spent the whole time talking about anything and everything. Laz is one of my guys.”
As a former strength and conditioning coach, Kochan sought ways to improve his craft and marveled at how mental skills coach and former major league pitcher Bob Tewksbury and sports psychologist/former minor league manager Derin McMains conveyed tough and easy conversations and getting players to view things in a different light while with the Giants.
That swayed Kochan to pursue his doctorate in hopes of understanding what makes players and coaches tick when faced with adversity on a daily basis.
Lee has worked with service members who were thinking about their family and with college student-athletes concerned about an examination, so he recognizes the importance of helping a player direct their focus toward the task at hand and remain fully present.
“Being able to control their focus and focus on essentially what they can control in the moment is a key skill, a key tool in their toolkit to be able to optimize performance in the moment,” said Lee, who played baseball at UC San Diego, served as director of baseball operations at Santa Clara University and taught mental skills and physical education at Presentation High School, an all-girls school in San Jose, California.

Lee’s dissertation focuses on the mental component of injury rehabilitation.
“I just saw that particular subgroup of athletes could seriously benefit from just making sure that their mind is good, super confident going back into sport,” Lee said. “Because fear of injury is really common. Fear of like, ‘Oh no, like, am I going to be as good as I was before?’”
Lee’s sounding board includes wife Jaclyn, who is an athletic trainer in San Jose, and brother Korey, a catcher with the Chicago White Sox and his spring training roommate, thanks to the proximity of their spring facilities.
“I tell our players that I feel like I have the answers to the test, because my brother will tell me everything about what players are thinking about, what the pressure are at the high level, and I’m able to use some of those stories to connect what I spent years and years and years studying and understanding and being able to apply it in a very real way,” Lee said. “I’m using real-life examples coming directly from a player.”
Lee liked that GCU professors emphasized that he choose a topic he was passionate about, rather than be steered in a certain direction.
“I felt the power to be able to determine where I wanted to go and how I wanted to go about it,” he said.
GCU News senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]
***
Related content:
GCU News: Doctoral graduate earns green light on traffic stop study
GCU News: Prized baseball possessions in hands of GCU student
Sports
Women’s Track & Field Qualifies Three for NCAA Outdoor Championships
Story Links ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women’s track & field team will send three student-athletes to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio from May 22-24. Laura Suppa and Rachel Larson will compete in the 100-meter hurdles, while Madeleine Wright will be in […]

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women’s track & field team will send three student-athletes to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio from May 22-24.
Laura Suppa and Rachel Larson will compete in the 100-meter hurdles, while Madeleine Wright will be in action in the high jump.
Suppa, who finished 13th at last year’s Outdoor Championships, just set IC’s school record in the event at 13.86 seconds to move up to fourth nationally, while Larson is seeded seventh at 13.98 seconds. Both will run in the preliminary race at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, May 23, with the final set for 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 24.
Wright is seeded 11th in a jammed high jump competition at 1.68 meters. Eight qualifying athletes are tied for 11th entering the 11:30 a.m. start on Friday.
All three athletes have been named All-Americans during their career. Suppa is a three-time All-American with a top finish of fourth in the 60-meter hurdles, which occurred at this year’s NCAA Division III Indoor Championships, while Larson finished sixth in the same race. Wright was a Second Team All-American at indoors this season, placing 14th.
Sports
From Kentucky Wildcat to Pro Volleyball Champion: Kaz Brown shines on PVF’s biggest stage
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Former Kentucky Wildcat, Kaz Brown, is a Professional Volleyball Federation champion after she and the Orlando Valkyries defeated the Indy Ignite in four sets on Mother’s Day to claim the league’s second ever title. “The overwhelming emotion was joy,” Brown said. “The moment felt very joyful to be spending that championship […]


BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Former Kentucky Wildcat, Kaz Brown, is a Professional Volleyball Federation champion after she and the Orlando Valkyries defeated the Indy Ignite in four sets on Mother’s Day to claim the league’s second ever title.
“The overwhelming emotion was joy,” Brown said. “The moment felt very joyful to be spending that championship weekend with teammates, with family, with friends, which is one of the biggest perks.”
But before she was winning championships at the professional level, Brown dominated at the University of Kentucky, becoming the Wildcats all time leader in total blocks, solo blocks and block assists. After college, she would take her talents overseas, playing volleyball in Germany, Ukraine, France and Greece for a handful of years. That experience would shape her into the player she is today, becoming the first ever Middle Blocker of the Year in 2024.
“Being overseas prepared me a lot from a mental standpoint,” Brown said. You’re kind of over there alone and you kind of have to be the one to check yourself and and keep yourself in check. I think that benefited me greatly in my professional career.”
In the 2025 regular season, Brown set new career highs with 228 kills, 73 blocks, 56 digs and 19 aces. And in the playoffs, she picked up right where she left off, finishing with a career high seven blocks in the semifinals against the Atlanta Vibe and helping Orlando close out in day for the championship.
“I would have to say our experience is really what set us apart,” Brown said. “Having players who have been on a big stage before and have been able to perform and compete at that level, I think was huge for us.”
From Lexington stand out to 2025 champion, Brown is proving that Kentucky talent belongs at the top.
“I love the University of Kentucky,” Brown said. “I had the best four years of my life there to date. And so to be able to win a title at the pro level, I mean, I have I have so many people to thank, And the University of Kentucky volleyball program is definitely at the top of that list.”
Sports
Cal Poly Athletics Unveils Next Chapter
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly Athletics has announced the establishment of the Players Trust, a groundbreaking initiative that will help attract and retain student-athletes through the support of alumni, parents and friends, putting Cal Poly on the forefront of the new landscape of college athletics. The House v. NCAA settlement has allowed universities […]

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly Athletics has announced the establishment of the Players Trust, a groundbreaking initiative that will help attract and retain student-athletes through the support of alumni, parents and friends, putting Cal Poly on the forefront of the new landscape of college athletics.
The House v. NCAA settlement has allowed universities more freedom to increase the number of scholarships provided and offer supplemental scholarship opportunities alongside existing NIL policies. This has opened the door for Cal Poly Athletics to create a balance of financial opportunity for student-athletes who thrive both athletically and academically, leading to the creation of the Players Trust.
Sports
NCAA Reforms Put Olympic Sports on the Ropes
NCAA Reforms Put Olympic Sports on the Ropes: What’s at Stake for Swimming and Beyond The Knight Commission will convene Tuesday, May 20, for what may be one of the most consequential conversations in the history of college athletics. With NCAA President Charlie Baker on the agenda and Olympic sport leaders in attendance, the stakes […]
NCAA Reforms Put Olympic Sports on the Ropes: What’s at Stake for Swimming and Beyond
The Knight Commission will convene Tuesday, May 20, for what may be one of the most consequential conversations in the history of college athletics. With NCAA President Charlie Baker on the agenda and Olympic sport leaders in attendance, the stakes are high—and for swimming, they’re personal. Formed in 1989, the Knight Commission is designed to promote reform in collegiate athletics.
Triggered by the $2.8 billion House v. NCAA settlement, the collegiate sports model is shifting fast. Schools are preparing to directly pay athletes. Scholarship limits are being lifted. And in the scramble to manage new financial pressures, Olympic sports are being cut.
Cal Poly eliminated men’s and women’s swimming this spring, citing a $450,000 annual burden from the settlement. Grand Canyon dropped its nationally ranked men’s volleyball team. Coaches from every corner of the country are already reducing rosters—often without notice. This isn’t theoretical. It’s happening now.
While football and men’s basketball will absorb the coming changes, non-revenue sports are left to fend for themselves. And the NCAA’s own data confirms the threat: more than 65% of U.S. Olympians have come through college programs.
What’s at Risk
Swimming & Diving is not alone. Programs across Olympic sports—from wrestling to rowing to track—are bracing for impact. Some will lose scholarships. Others will shrink teams. A few may be gone for good. Here’s a look at how Division I sports stack up under the pressure of the settlement:
Sport | Revenue? | Programs (M/W) | Risk of Cuts/Roster Reductions |
---|---|---|---|
Swimming & Diving | No | 137 / 200 | High (Cal Poly) |
Track & Field / XC | No | 300+ / 300+ | High (roster limits underway) |
Wrestling | No | 80 / 4 | High (historically vulnerable) |
Water Polo | No | 29 / 37 | High (few programs, high cost) |
Rowing (W) | No | 93 | High (caps hit walk-on depth) |
Gymnastics | No | 12 / 4 | Medium–High (few programs remain) |
Soccer | No | 212 / 349 | Medium–High (caps shrinking teams) |
Baseball / Softball | Partial | 307 / 309 | Medium (cuts to baseball walk-ons) |
Basketball | Yes / Moderate | 364 / 362 | Low (minimal changes) |
What We’re Looking For
The May 20 meeting will set the tone for how Olympic sports are—or aren’t—protected going forward. Swimming World will be in the room, listening to what Baker and others say not just about revenue sharing and governance, but about opportunity, equity, and the role of swimming and similar sports in the future of college athletics.
We know the scoreboard. We know the cuts. And we know what’s at stake.
Now it’s time to see who will stand up for the sports that built Team USA.
We’ll have a followup after the meeting with analysis and insight from Tuesday’s session. Until then, the message is clear:
The pipeline to the Olympics runs through college campuses. Let’s not shut it down.
Sports
Kamara to Represent Bowie State at NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Story Links BOWIE, MD – Bowie State standout thrower Yassine Kamara is set to make her second-straight appearance at the 2025 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, that will take place from Thursday, May 22 to Saturday, May 24 in Pueblo, Colo., at Colorado State University Pueblo’s Thunderbowl Stadium. Meet: NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field […]

BOWIE, MD – Bowie State standout thrower Yassine Kamara is set to make her second-straight appearance at the 2025 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, that will take place from Thursday, May 22 to Saturday, May 24 in Pueblo, Colo., at Colorado State University Pueblo’s Thunderbowl Stadium.
Meet: NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championship
When: Thursday, May. 22 – Saturday, May. 24
Location: Pueblo, Colo. (CSUP Thunderbowl)
Meet Information: Click Here
Event Schedule: Click Here
Watch: Click Here
Tickets: Click Here
Also accompanying Bowie State from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference is Claflin University who leads the league with four student-athletes while Johnson C. Smith and Virginia State add two qualifiers each, respectively.
Kamara will compete in the women’s discus throw on Friday, May 23 at 2 p.m., and the women’s shot put on Saturday, May 24 at 1:15 p.m., both taking place at CSUP Thunderbowl Stadium.
Last Timeout
Kamara’s last outing was during the CIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships where she captured the gold medal in the discus with a throw of 50.16 meters and secured the silver medal in the shot put with a mark of 13.09 meters at the Durham County Stadium in Durham, N.C., on May 3.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 13 varsity sport teams, visit bsubulldogs.com.
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